Bhubaneswar:Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has undertaken a successful demonstration of scientific mushroom cultivation in the tribal districts of Rayagada, training 76 women in Kashipur block. Through this effort, it hasexpanded the range of livelihood avenues available to women in the region, offering a scalable, low investment income model for rural households.
The pilot project has been implemented in villages such as Dumerpadar and Porlong, where participants have undergone hands-on training in bed preparation, seeding, bag filling, and scientific cultivation techniques. The participants have also been supported with essential inputs, including chuna, besan, mushroom seeds, and cultivation bags, enabling them to immediately apply their learningsat the household level.In addition, each participant was provided two mushroom beds to begin cultivation. Initial production cyclesunder the project have yielded 1–1.2 kg per bed per cycle, with an input cost of approximately ₹25 per bed and an average market price of ₹150 per kg,indicating a return on investmentof nearly 500% and highlighting the model’s high viability as a supplementary income source. Of the 140 beds distributed, nearly 100 are in active production, with beneficiaries expected to produce close to 2 kg per cycle on average.
The initiative adds to Vedanta Aluminium’s efforts to encourage household-level micro-enterprises, particularly for women in land-constrained and remote tribal communities. Based on initial outcomes, the company plans to further scale the programme to 10,000 beds and an equal number of spawn packets.
Chandrika Naik, a beneficiary from Dumerpadar village, said,“Through this initiative, we have learned scientific mushroom cultivation and are now able to earn from our homes. The project by Vedantais helping us support our families and undertake combinedefforts to developour communities.”
Her husband, MukhmalNaik, added, “Earlier, we were forced to depend onlyon farming to sustain ourselves and our families. Now, with this additional income, we are able to manage household expenses better. We will make every effort to support the success of this project.”
Vedanta Aluminium has undertaken a wide range of livelihood generation initiatives across Odisha. In Jharsuguda, the Subhalaxmi Cooperative supports over 5,000 women across 440 self-help groups through access to microfinance, enterprise training, and structured savings. In Kalahandi, Project Sakhi has enabled more than 3,000 women to engage in farm and non farm livelihoods, strengthening household incomes and economic resilience.
